The Edmonton Oilers have decided Rob Daum isn't the head coach they want behind the bench when they open up their AHL shop in Oklahoma City next season.

After three years in the organization as a coach, including a one-year stint as an assistant to Craig MacTavish with the Oilers and parts of two seasons as coach of the Springfield Falcons, Daum has been told he's not in the plans.

While Daum, 52, enjoyed nothing but success in a decade with the Alberta Golden Bears before joining the Oilers, he couldn't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse in Springfield.

That inability to get results -- with what was essentially an injury riddled ECHL defensive corps last season and a team without a legit AHL starter in goal this season -- in Springfield has cost him his job.

Or maybe Daum didn't have enough pizzazz or marquee value to sell tickets in Oklahoma City -- I don't know the Oilers thinking behind the move because they have yet to comment or even announce they gave Daum the bad news last week.

Perhaps they'll get around to it this week.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Falcons were 25-39-0-16 under Daum this season after going 8-17-0-5 with the former two-time CIS coach of the year behind the bench in 2008-09, a campaign in which he took over from Jeff Truitt as a late-season replacement.

In an off-season of change, one that has already seen the Oilers sack assistant GM Kevin Prendergast, long-time equipment manager Barrie Stafford, assistant Lyle Kulchisky and athletic therapist Ken Lowe, Daum becomes the latest to be shown the door.

While it's difficult to put a positive spin on Daum's record in Springfield, player development, generally speaking, carries as much weight as wins and losses do at the minor league level. There's no question in my mind that Daum is a proven teacher of the game.

The truth is, Daum, who compiled one of the most successful records in CIS history with an overall slate of 345-79-32 (.792) on the way to three CIS championships and six conference titles, didn't have much to work with in the mire that has been the Oilers farm system.

If the Oilers really want a fresh start in Oklahoma City, they had better address the lack of depth of talented prospects and time-tested minor league veterans that's plagued this organization since they got back into the business of actually operating an AHL team. So far, they haven't been very good at it.

Daum wasn't the problem.

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In a brief conversation I had with the coach over the weekend he indicated that he has met with Oilers GM Tambellini recently but that "nothing came of it". For the record, I asked Daum if he wants to be on the Barons bench when the Barons begin their AHL season.

Guy Flammings article fromo June 7th, so obviously they talked about the future.

This is precisely the point. They spoke, and Tambellini decided to string him along.

Can anyone provide even one shred of evidence that Tambellini has ever acted in a timely manner on any personnel decision or that that he has ever handled any difficult personnel decisions with anything approaching grace?

If I recall correctly the year Daum was an assistant with MacT they had a pretty good year from their youth. His track record seems to point to a guy who understands the game and is a very good teacher to young players. It may well be that he doesn't have the intangible ingredient(s) needed to be a first rate head coach, but is better suited to be an excellent assistant. A role he may or may not want at this point in his career.

If development is the primary goal of your AHL team, and an acknowledged culture shift is required, I hope they hire a young, talented hungry coach with aspirations of making to the NHL. To me that sounds like the coach you want shaping your young players.

As far as the "classless" part: if it's T minus 2 months on your contract and you haven't been extended it should be obvious where you are headed. I wouldn't want someone who either hadn't figured that out, or hadn't confronted his boss about it coaching my team. This business is based on winning, and unfortunately sometimes good guys get the shaft. If the end result is a successful turnaround of the organization as a whole, a year from now few if any players will care or remember about the niceties involved with the non-renewal of their minor league coach's contract.

As for stringing him along, I was more putting that out there for the people that said they never talked. They talked maybe it's like the year end interviews with the players, you gauge what the coach is thinking and go from there.

Firing Daum is nothing more than an attempt to deflect blame from upper management. Nobody could have won with the roster he had to work with, and writing something so obtuse as to claim that he should go because his record was bad is absurd.

You remove people from their job because they did it poorly, not because you gave them nothing to work with. By firing him they are claiming that he was provided with a better roster than his record suggests. Are some of you actually buying this idea?

I think your off when you say there are only so many qualified hockey people, there are tons of guys just looking for a chance. Daum had some good points but it's hard to say they'll have trouble finding at least as good a replacement.

Now if Kelly Buchberger ends up behind the bench then it's time to form a lynch mob with pitch forks, tar and feather, burning torches and the whole deal because his continued career as a coach despite his failures shows signs of some form of insanity in the Oilers upper management.

I like Bucky as a coach, and maybe he is going back to AHL as part of Daum deal . Interesting choice on Daum following a similiar path of varsity personnel . Drake and Moores never really panned out either as i recall , despite stellar records at varsity levels .

Firing Daum is nothing more than an attempt to deflect blame from upper management. Nobody could have won with the roster he had to work with, and writing something so obtuse as to claim that he should go because his record was bad is absurd.

You remove people from their job because they did it poorly, not because you gave them nothing to work with. By firing him they are claiming that he was provided with a better roster than his record suggests. Are some of you actually buying this idea?

Of course you are correct, but considering this is the same fan base that was frothing at the mouth to see MacT fired under similar circumstances makes watching all the bleeding hearts pretty hard to swallow.

Speaking of releasing people, any news on Nilsson, O'Sullivan or Moreau being bought out?

No reason to move on them until after the draft. Try and trade them at the draft, if they get no nibbles they can start the paper work. Someone may decide to give up a 5th round pick for one of them rather than wait for a buyout.

Of course you are correct, but considering this is the same fan base that was frothing at the mouth to see MacT fired under similar circumstances makes watching all the bleeding hearts pretty hard to swallow.

This comparison is more baseless than Gagner vs Damphousse. Please make your case sir. I need a good laugh this afternoon.

It's amazing how many people are getting their hair in a knot over the Oilers revamping this organization. These kinds of firings happen everywhere including the NHL. This latest one could be as simple as the team has decided to go in a different direction. Many of you have claimed over the last year or so that Kevin Lowe was still really running this team and maybe there was some merit to it or maybe Tambellini wanted to give the guys that were put in place under Lowe a year or so to show that they were the guys that Tambellini wanted.

This team is a 30th place team and now Tambellini is beginning to make this team his own....I don't understand the venom...you guys all wanted change...change is well underway and has probably just begun...so strap in, sit back and see what happens.

Everytime the Oilers make some sort of move many react like they just lost a family member. The Stanley Cup Champion Black Hawks just went ahead and fired guys right out of the blue (ie: Denis Savard and Dale Tallon) as well when it looked like they were on the cusp of a rebuild...were they being classless?

Firings in the NHL happen all the time in every city and always will. I'm sure that if all the moves being made don't work that Tambellini will find himself on the end of the same fate...

Why not give the guy a chance now to make his mark and see if it works?

We are also under the impression Daum just found out last week. I could bet, at least I hope, Tambo has talked with Daum and he know it was going to be coming down to this. Or someone talked to Daum on Tambo's behalf. I can't imagine such a big disconnect. He's the GM of a multi million dollar organisation. Us fans just assume things when we aren't in the "know" and fill in the blanks with the worst case scenarios

Just like when Sourray was crying that Tambo never talked to him. I would bet you the training staff talked to Sourray who then talk to Tambo to report everything.

I can tell you with certainty that Daum never knew this was coming until this past Friday. In fact when I spoke to him ten days ago I got the sense he thought he was coming back.

The worst part of this decision is the timing. If Tambellini had told Daum this weeks ago at least Daum could have applied for some jobs. Most are now filled or so far along in the hiring process he will be on the outside looking in.

Daum will be on my show today at 4:20ish for those who want to hear his side of things.

Lowe mentioned last month that the new Oilers assistant GM will be the one who makes the decision on who to hire for the head coaching position in OKC and that Daum would be considered for the position. He also gives Daum praise and calls him a good teacher and did a good job in Springfield, all things considered.

http://newsok.com/article/3463286

Should be interesting to see who Tambi hires for that position and who they choose to run things in Oklahoma.

Good insight. Well not really. But Im trying to be nice. Daum had no goalie, no defense, and was short on forwards for his one full season as head coach.

Mactavish on the other hand had eight full seasons as a head coach and none of the injury/call up problems were even close to what Daum had. Hell, you cant even say that he had a chance to develop any players under those circumstances.

And really, if Mact were a victim of circumstances as you suggest, he surely would have been hired by now. His stints with the Spengler Cup and the World Championships would indicate that he is open for business. But nobody is calling. Why is that? Bad rosters? Please.

One thing that is certain...there is no pleasing an Oilers fan. When things are going bad we scream for change and when change happens we scream some more.

I thought that change is what we wanted....we should just be happy that we are finally seeing some.

Change without naming who the change is for is not exactly timely , or change until we see what that change really is . Change just for change shake is frequently not good .

Nothing more than a gut feeling about what change might be . Possible scenario that might appeal to me . Bucky goes back to AHL to re-evaluate how good he might be as head coach till after the season to see if Quinn and Renney can turn the club around . Even bringing Bucky back up during season if the two incumbents are still faltering below expectations and Bucky is excelling on the farm. Oilers then offer Pisani and/ or J.Smith a job outside their hockey careers as assistant coaches on the NHL club , AHL club , etc..

Good insight. Well not really. But Im trying to be nice. Daum had no goalie, no defense, and was short on forwards for his one full season as head coach.

Mactavish on the other hand had eight full seasons as a head coach and none of the injury/call up problems were even close to what Daum had. Hell, you cant even say that he had a chance to develop any players under those circumstances.

And really, if Mact were a victim of circumstances as you suggest, he surely would have been hired by now. His stints with the Spengler Cup and the World Championships would indicate that he is open for business. But nobody is calling. Why is that? Bad rosters? Please.

Ah, so you think he had quality rosters these last few years.

Looks like you just shot all your credibility out the window, by displaying a complete and total failure in evaluating hockey talent.

Good insight. Well not really. But Im trying to be nice. Daum had no goalie, no defense, and was short on forwards for his one full season as head coach.

Mactavish on the other hand had eight full seasons as a head coach and none of the injury/call up problems were even close to what Daum had. Hell, you cant even say that he had a chance to develop any players under those circumstances.

And really, if Mact were a victim of circumstances as you suggest, he surely would have been hired by now. His stints with the Spengler Cup and the World Championships would indicate that he is open for business. But nobody is calling. Why is that? Bad rosters? Please.

Perhaps MacT isn't coaching for other reasons. Maybe he just wanted to kick back and get paid to do nothing for a year. Why not. Perhaps he needed to take some time to sort some things out.

Point is, I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from his lack of NHL employment.

But what does this have to do with what Taylor Hall is doing? Nothing. Jesus Brownlee, don't you know the Oilers have the first overall pick this year? Didn't you know a sneeze from Taylor Hall can bring snow to deserts, rain to Africa, and peel the very fabric from the nation's women all at once? DID YOU KNOW THAT, BROWNLEE!?!?!?

Looks like you just shot all your credibility out the window, by displaying a complete and total failure in evaluating hockey talent.

I neither need nor want your approval. You didnt answer my question. Surely the bright minds that occupy the gm chairs in the various franchises around the league would concur with your assessment and hire the savant? But no, that doesnt seem to be the case.

Youve also glossed over the one year vs eight year disparity (surprised? not really) and the various spats he had in the open press with some of our top prospects and players. Is it a coincidence that Penner scored over thirty goals on the worst team in the league one year after the removal of his nemesis?

Is it a coincidence that Rob Schremp had a higher ppg in the nhl than Horcoff one year after the removal of his nemesis?

I mean this was a guy that got all of seven games in three years here, while the likes of Liam Reddox floundered around on the first line of the big club.

And of course, who can forget the comment he made on national tv when he suggested on tsn this fall that Shawn Horcoff should be considered for Team Canada.

I can tell you with certainty that Daum never knew this was coming until this past Friday. In fact when I spoke to him ten days ago I got the sense he thought he was coming back.

The worst part of this decision is the timing. If Tambellini had told Daum this weeks ago at least Daum could have applied for some jobs. Most are now filled or so far along in the hiring process he will be on the outside looking in.

Daum will be on my show today at 4:20ish for those who want to hear his side of things.

Would it be fair to speculate that Tambi wanted to be sure he had a better candidate locked up for the position before burning his bridges with Daum? If the process of finding a candidate and making sure they were available took longer than expected, then maybe one can at least provide a reasonable rationale why word took so long to get to Daum that he wasn't being renewed. If the 'new guy' hadn't worked out, maybe Tambi was looking at re-signing Daum as 'Plan B'.

I'm not suggesting that letting Daum twist in the wind was a nice thing to do. I'm just pointing out that there may be a valid reason why Tambi was left with no choice but to let Daum in on things later than he would have liked.

This line of speculation is of course contingent on Tambi actually having recently locked up a superior replacement. If he hasn't, this excuse along with most others is kind of out the window. (Please don't let him have been that stupid . . .)

Would it be fair to speculate that Tambi wanted to be sure he had a better candidate locked up for the position before burning his bridges with Daum? If the process of finding a candidate and making sure they were available took longer than expected, then maybe one can at least provide a reasonable rationale why word took so long to get to Daum that he wasn't being renewed. If the 'new guy' hadn't worked out, maybe Tambi was looking at re-signing Daum as 'Plan B'.

I'm not suggesting that letting Daum twist in the wind was a nice thing to do. I'm just pointing out that there may be a valid reason why Tambi was left with no choice but to let Daum in on things later than he would have liked.

This line of speculation is of course contingent on Tambi actually having recently locked up a superior replacement. If he hasn't, this excuse along with most others is kind of out the window. (Please don't let him have been that stupid . . .)

It's normally not a case of whether they can find someone better. It's more about someone DIFFERENT.

Most teams fire a coach and then start the process of looking for another. No way Tambellini would be interviewing guys for the job, while letting Daum twist in the wind.

The coaching fraternity is small, and word gets around when guys are being interviewed.

Tambellini made a choice that Daum wasn't his guy. Which is fine. I think the timing, more than the decision, is what stinks here.

Daum knows hockey, no one debates that, but coaches also know they are hired to be fired. It isn't fair, but that is the reality. All they expect is to be treated fairly. It will be hard for Daum to get a new job this upcoming season. Minor league coaches don't have the luxury of having millions/thousands stashed away so they can sit around for a year. Rob needs to work like most of us, and the timing really hurt his coaching chances.

"I neither need nor want your approval. You didnt answer my question. Surely the bright minds that occupy the gm chairs in the various franchises around the league would concur with your assessment and hire the savant? But no, that doesnt seem to be the case."

He was fired a year ago, lots of coaches sit on the sideline for a year + You don't have a leg to stand on with that point. If he's still unemployed in 3-5 years then you can start with that non-sense.

"Youve also glossed over the one year vs eight year disparity (surprised? not really) and the various spats he had in the open press with some of our top prospects and players. Is it a coincidence that Penner scored over thirty goals on the worst team in the league one year after the removal of his nemesis?"

He had a well constructed roster for one year, they went to the finals that year. The rest of the time he had an average or worse roster, he produced average or worse results.

"Is it a coincidence that Penner scored over thirty goals on the worst team in the league one year after the removal of his nemesis?"

If Mact leaving caused Penners goals to go up, then it must have also caused Cogs/Gilberts production to evaporate. ;0

"I mean this was a guy that got all of seven games in three years here, while the likes of Liam Reddox floundered around on the first line of the big club."

Did you know Justin Abdelkader spent time on the Wings first line in the SCF?

It's laughable that guys like yourself are still clinging to the opinion that MacT was "the problem" after the team sunk 23 points.

That could be a possibility, but his turns at the Spengler Cup and the World Championships would suggest otherwise. Dont you think?

I don't know, I would say his turns on the World stage were more of the "Hey, that sounds like a fun thing to do" variety than of the "I need to feed my family so I will take whatever I can get" variety.

Seriously? Kelly Buchberger is going to go down to the farm to re-evaluate how good he is and then he is going to replace are two current coaches in Oiler land because he is excelling there? What the hell are you smoking? It must be some pretty good tree because that is the dumbest post I think i have ever seen on here in quite some time.

I don't know, I would say his turns on the World stage were more of the "Hey, that sounds like a fun thing to do" variety than of the "I need to feed my family so I will take whatever I can get" variety.

Especially considering that he was paid his salary from the Oilers this year.

Would the coaching on the Big Club have played any part in the decision whether or not to keep Daum around? No one has said for sure that Quinn will be behind the bench again this fall. If the decision is made to hand the reins to Renney, does this change anything for Daum? What about if Quinn stays on board?

I'm just trying to reverse-engineer the decision to release Daum so that I can figure out if there is another major coaching decision we haven't heard about yet that played a part in the timing of this thing.

What is laughable is your inability to defend such a ridiculous comparison. One has nothing to do with the other. All you have done is said that Mactavish had a poor roster just like Daum. Do you even have any idea what Daum had to put up with last year?

Im going to take a wild stab and say no. That much is fairly obvious. You could start by asking yourself who replaced the injured players on the big club, then you could research and ponder the injuries that Springfield actually had to deal with.

Then you may be starting to get the picture. Add to that your jumbled post/response and your need to insult those that have a differing point of view and well, maybe there is a reason that this place may not be growing as it could be.

The Habs fired 6 scouts 2 weeks ago but they were not bashed for it. Only the Oilers gets bashed for these moves.

according to my rough calculations the Habs gave the Scouts about 4-5 weeks heads up on not getting their contracts renewed (they expired end of June). That's a bit better than 2 weeks or so for Daum's situation, is it not?

The Habs fired 6 scouts 2 weeks ago but they were not bashed for it. Only the Oilers gets bashed for these moves.

The Hab's season ended when? At least those scouts can look for jobs now, the Oilers STILL have scouts that are waiting for word on whether they will have jobs or not, and the team has been done for how long now?

a buddy of mine is good friends with an ex-Scout for the Leafs. Another thing about being a Scout versus being a Coach is that the Scout works from their home location. They don't pick up and move their family based on where there team is playing (i.e Springfield or Oklahoma).

I know that moving comes with the territory for Coaches but isn't that all the more reason to give them a heads up when not renewing a contract?

What is laughable is your inability to defend such a ridiculous comparison. One has nothing to do with the other. All you have done is said that Mactavish had a poor roster just like Daum. Do you even have any idea what Daum had to put up with last year?

Im going to take a wild stab and say no. That much is fairly obvious. You could start by asking yourself who replaced the injured players on the big club, then you could research and ponder the injuries that Springfield actually had to deal with.

Then you may be starting to get the picture. Add to that your jumbled post/response and your need to insult those that have a differing point of view and well, maybe there is a reason that this place may not be growing as it could be.

Yes I have an idea what Daum had to go through. I agree that Daum had less to work with then MacTavish.... However he also put up far worse results.

It's mind boggling that you can't see the similarities. What's their to defend? Both had poor rosters, both put up poor results, both got fired.

The Falcons also had a worse winning % last year after Daum was hired then before.

Doesnt this situation reek of everything Sheldon Souray spoke of at the end of the season? How are management supposed to get players and other managers when the word gets out that they still treat their staff like garbage?

Everyone condemned the firing/transferring of the training staff before hearing from the people involved. I haven't heard any negative comments coming from Sparky or Stafford, in fact they seemed to be excited about the future.

If Daum's contract not being renewed came as a complete surprise to him I'll agree it was pretty crappy to let him hang that long. Let's hear what he has to say.

The summer of Tambellini continues. Fans are lemmings. If the Oilers have success he`ll be a genius and all moves will be deemed as having been necessary and any talk of being classless will be long forgotten.

If I was Daum, and I hadn't been offered a new contract I would have still been looking at those jobs elsewhere. If something caught my eye, I'd ask management for the opportunity to apply or for them to make some sort of commitment.

Not saying the Oil are right or wrong in their handling, but at some point when your contract is up and no commitment has been made you have to be proactive.